1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical rests and supports for cushioning and supporting portions of a patient's anatomy during surgery and other medical procedures.
2. The Problem Addressed by the Invention
When surgery is performed on a patient in the prone position, the patient's arms should be supported and cushioned to prevent injury which may occur through pressure on nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments due to the weight of the arms. For example, if the shoulders are allowed to droop during a long operation (many back operations last four hours and longer), this could cause numbness in the hands and possibly a bilateral wrist drop. Pressure on the ulnar nerve at the elbow can cause compression ulnar nerve palsy. Devices for supporting the arms of the patient should, however, allow access to anesthesiologists for insertion or attachment of intravenous needles, tubes, and monitoring equipment. In the past, numerous attempts have been made to solve this problem, from simply allowing the patient's arms to rest on the surgical table's cushions adding blankets or other soft material to the table's cushions. These have all proven unsatisfactory.